


Sick Costumes

by jbarnes2494



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Avengers Compound, Avengers Family, Blood and Gore, F/M, Fluff, Halloween, Hydra (Marvel), Injury, Movie Night, Near Death Experiences, Possessive Bucky Barnes, Post-Mission, Protective Bucky Barnes, Semi-Public Sex, Smut, Undercover Missions, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:07:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27310183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jbarnes2494/pseuds/jbarnes2494
Summary: Bucky & Reader are covered in blood when their recon mission gets blown & they end up in the middle of a party in downtown Brooklyn. The fact that it's Halloween is really convenient.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 141





	Sick Costumes

“Behind you!” Bucky shouted, and I spun around just in time to see the burly gang member coming at me. I aimed a high kick at his head, but he pulled a knife from his belt and sliced at my arm, tearing through the nylon bomber jacket and into my flesh underneath. I stumbled with a grunt, falling against the wall behind me. The man lunged at me with the knife again, this time aimed at my chest, but before I could drag myself out of the way, Bucky was hauling the guy away from me and tossing him into the opposite wall. The drywall crumbled under the impact, knocking the guy out cold.

Bucky held out his flesh hand to help me up. “There’ll be more of them, we have to get out of here.”

I nodded, letting him pull me up. He glanced down both ends of the hallway before pulling me to the stairwell.

“Up,” he urged, and I followed him up the stairs. The fluorescent lights flickered and the air smelled musty, a sign of the neglect of the building. We’d been tipped off a few days ago that this was one of the rendezvous points of the newest gang terrorizing Brooklyn. They had been pushing a new kind of drug, similar to cocaine but with the promise of giving a person temporary “superhuman” abilities – In other words, the drugs were meant to mimic the supersoldier serum that Steve and Bucky had been injected with. Bucky and I had been on a recon mission to determine whether or not HYDRA was behind the drug, but our cover had been blown.

We’d barely made it to the next floor when the air echoed with a gunshot. Bucky shoved me roughly out of the way and drew his pistol, firing up the stairwell. Two more bullets were aimed at us, this time from below, and I drew my own handgun and aimed at the flash of black at the bottom of the staircase. A strangled cry from below let me know I’d hit my target, but then bullets were coming at us from both directions. One grazed my thigh and I cursed, firing angrily above at my attacker.

“You take the two below – I’ll take the two above,” Bucky grunted, our backs pressed together. They were trying to trap us so we had nowhere to go.

“Buck, they’re cornering us –”

“Do you trust me?”

I frowned, firing another shot at the two guys making their way up the stairs. “Do I have a choice?” I said through gritted teeth.

“I’ll get us out of here,” he promised. “You just have to trust me.”

The two guys above us reached us first, but I couldn’t even turn around to help Bucky because the two below us weren’t far behind. I clipped the first one in the shoulder and with a cry he dropped his gun – It clanged loudly as it fell down the stairwell. The second guy raised his handgun but I ducked under his arm and pressed the barrel of my gun to his temple.

“Drop it,” I growled, and when he hesitated, I pressed the gun harder. “ _Drop it_.”

He dropped the gun, and I kicked it down the stairs. Then I knocked him out with the grip of my gun and shoved his unconscious body down the stairs as well. The first guy, having recovered from the shock of being shot, lunged at me and slammed my body against the wall, temporarily knocking the breath from my lungs. A large hand closed around my throat and I gasped, nails clawing at his skin to try and free my windpipe. Realizing that was in vain, I brought a knee up to his groin and he grunted, hand falling from my throat as he stumbled.

I gulped in air greedily, but then he had grabbed my neck again and shoved me back against the wall, this time cracking my head against the concrete. My vision temporarily blurred, and as his fingers tightened their grip on me, I was starting to see black spots. I tried to lift my arms to fight back but my strength was waning and I could feel my legs start to give out underneath me.

Just before I was about to black out, the pressure on my windpipe disappeared and something wet and warm spattered over me. As my eyes refocused, I saw the man’s throat had been slit and as his body crumpled to the floor, Bucky was left standing there with a knife in his hand. His leather jacket was torn, the front of his white t-shirt stained with blood and a shallow gash stretched across his cheek. As I rubbed at my aching throat, I glanced warily around.

“Are there any more?” I asked hoarsely, and he shook his head.

“Not at the moment, but it won’t be long – If any of them were in the area they would have heard the gunshots. We need to get out of here.” Bucky frowned. “You look like shit, (Y/L/N). You alright?”

I shot him a sardonic look. “Always the charmer, Barnes. I’m fine. What’s the plan?”

“The roof,” Bucky replied. “We get up there, then get into the building next door. We can make our escape from there.”

With a huff, I pulled myself away from the wall and followed Bucky up the last three flights of stairs and out onto the rooftop into the crisp night air. The noises of the city filled my ears, and I glanced around nervously, worried this was a trap and they were waiting for us.

“(Y/N)!” Bucky hissed, already at the edge of the roof. I scurried over, and then shot him a wide-eyed look when I realized how far of a jump it was going to be.

“I can’t jump that far!” I cried. “It’s suicide.”

“Which is why you’re going to hold onto me and I’m going to jump,” Bucky told me calmly, lifting me into his arms before I had time to protest. With my arms and legs locked tight around him, Bucky sprang off the ledge onto the roof next door. We hit the rooftop hard but Bucky cradled my body against his, rolling to take the brunt of the impact. Agile as a cat, he was quickly on his feet and pulling me with him.

The door to the roof was locked, but with a rough shove of Bucky’s shoulder the hinges gave way and he dragged me inside. The building was in better shape than the last one, the apartments in it all occupied. The sounds of people talking and laughing mingled with the deep bass of party music being played over large speakers. The smell of alcohol and marijuana was overpowering and I wrinkled my nose.

“God, it smells like a frat house in here,” I complained, and Bucky frowned.

“It sounds like there’s a party going on.” He glanced down at our bloodied appearances. “That won’t bode well for us.”

“Not necessarily,” I disagreed with a shake of my head. “Did you forget what today is?”

Bucky’s brow furrowed. “Uh, Saturday?”

“No, you idiot, it’s Halloween. The one night of the year our appearances won’t look suspicious.”

I watched the understanding take over Bucky’s face as his eyes widened, and then he grinned. “That is really convenient,” he pointed out. “Suddenly I hate Halloween a little less.”

My brow furrowed. “You hate Halloween? How does anyone hate –” I stopped myself, shaking my head. “Y’know what, it doesn’t even matter. We have to get out of here before anyone else starts shooting at us. C’mon.”

Bucky shoved open the big metal fire escape door, and we were hit head-on with the party. The building appeared to only have two apartments per floor, but the doors to both apartments on this floor were wide open, and people came and went from each one, some lingering in the hall and some heading down the stairs, where it sounded like the party continued.

“Sounds like the whole damn building is one big party,” I breathed. Bucky was frowning.

“Stay close,” he murmured, slipping a hand into mine. I shot him a look, but when he tugged me down the hall I followed. The hallways were dimly lit, the fluorescent bulbs having been temporarily replaced with blacklight bulbs to set the mood for the party. The walls were lined with plastic skeletons and synthetic cobwebs, and fake bats and Halloween garland hung from the ceiling. Between the dim lighting and the throng of people dressed in Harley Quinn and vampire costumes, it was easy to get unintentionally separated, and anyone could be hiding under the various masks and faces painted with makeup.

We had made it to the floor below and were just walking past the open door of one of the apartments when a drunk guy dressed in a gladiator costume stumbled into me roughly. Bucky kept pulling me down the hall, but when the guy spoke, we both froze.

“Well shit, look at the two of you.”

Bucky’s hand around mine tightened, and I watched as his body tensed. We slowly turned around, and Bucky shifted, placing me behind him.

“I’m sorry?” he said, voice low and hard, and I didn’t have to see his face to know his expression had gone full Winter Soldier. If the gladiator was intimidated, though, he didn’t show it; a grin stretched across his face.

“You guys look incredible. My friend’s gotta see this – Doug!” He grabbed the arm of a guy dressed as Woody from _Toy Story_ talking to a Playboy Bunny and pulled him over. “Look at these two. Isn’t this great?”

Doug’s eyes widened. “Sick costumes,” he breathed, and I watched as the tension visibly left Bucky’s body. “The blood looks so real, and the _wounds_ …It’s uncanny.”

I stepped forward, plastering a grin on my face. “I’m a makeup artist, and I get a little crazy at Halloween,” I lied smoothly. “We were supposed to go as Bonnie and Clyde, but _someone_ didn’t want to wear the 1930s clothing” – I shot Bucky a pointed look – “so we settled for this instead.”

“Well, you nailed it,” the gladiator said. “Kudos.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, and then I slid my arms around Bucky’s flesh arm and looked up at him with my best doe eyes. “We should get going, babe,” I told him. “Angie’s downstairs and she still has my purse.”

Bucky nodded, and I slid my hand back into his as we left the gladiator and his friend Doug behind. Once out of earshot, Bucky turned to look at me.

“You’re quick on your feet,” he said. “Those lies fell off your lips like they were the truth.”

I shrugged. “Why do you think Tony sends me on so many undercover missions?” I grinned. “Besides, the Bonnie and Clyde thing wasn’t too far-off; we are kinda like Bonnie and Clyde right now.”

“Except that we’re the good guys.”

“And we aren’t dating.”

Bucky snorted. “Exactly.”

I had just opened my mouth to say something else, when Bucky was all of a sudden yanking me through the nearest open door. Before I could protest, Bucky’s hand had clamped over my mouth as his eyes widened. He’d pulled me into one of the apartments behind the open door, and his eyes stayed focused on the crack between the door and the frame until whatever threat he’d seen that I hadn’t had passed.

“What the hell was that?” I asked as he pulled his hand from my mouth.

“Gang members coming up the stairs,” he replied. “They didn’t see us, but they know we’re here.”

I frowned. “So what now? If they know we’re here, the front door isn’t an option.”

“We find another way out. A fire escape or something. For now, though, we just stay calm and try to blend in so we don’t draw attention to ourselves. Which means you have to try and hide that limp you’ve got.”

“I got _shot_ in the leg –” 

“Ssh!” Bucky hissed. “I know, but if you’re limping it’s going to give away that the blood soaking through your jeans didn’t come from a bottle.”

I frowned, but I knew he was right. Gritting my teeth, I pushed away from the wall and took a few steps in practice. Bucky set a hand on the small of my back.

“If it gets to be too much, just lean against me and pretend you’re drunk,” he murmured. “You won’t be the only drunk girl leaning against her boyfriend for support.”

I turned to him and arched an eyebrow. “ _Boyfriend_?”

“You started it,” he grunted in reply. “We may as well roll with it.”

Bucky’s hand stayed on the small of my back as we made our way through the apartment. He was tense again, eyes and ears on alert for anyone that could be concealing a weapon. I should have been just as thorough as him, but the pain in my thigh had it hard to focus on anything else. Finally, I steered towards the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of vodka from the counter before pouring some into a red plastic cup and downing it in one gulp. Bucky’s eyes widened.

“What the hell are you doing?” he hissed. “Are you crazy? Now is _not_ the time to be getting drunk.”

“Relax.” I cut him off, rolling my eyes. “One shot of vodka isn’t enough to impair me. I have no access to painkillers right now and my leg is killing me. The vodka is just to take the edge off.”

Bucky frowned, glancing down at my thigh. “The bullet isn’t still in there, is it?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“Just grazed it, but it still hurts like a bitch.”

“Well, hopefully we’ll get out of this place soon and we can get you back to the compound to get stitched up.” Bucky wrinkled his nose. “The sooner the better, too. What is this god-awful music?”

I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled in my chest. “It’s the Monster Mash!” I exclaimed, and Bucky scowled.

“It’s terrible.”

“It’s a Halloween classic; no Halloween party is complete without it.” I shook my head, still chuckling. “If there was a Scrooge equivalent for Halloween, it would be you. Why do you hate it so much?”

Bucky pursed his lips. “I just don’t get the point of it. You dress up in silly costumes, put up fake skeletons and ghosts, carve a pumpkin, and take your kids to strangers’ houses for candy. I don’t see the appeal.”

“Buzzkill,” I accused, and he glared at me.

“That’s enough judging me for one night,” he grumbled. “We need to get out of here.” 

I nodded, and was just about to suggest we look for a fire escape when over Bucky’s shoulder I saw two figures in all black come through the front door of the apartment. My eyes widened, and Bucky frowned.

“(Y/N), what is it –”

“They’re here,” I hissed, and before Bucky could say anything or turn around to look, I had grabbed his face between my hands. Confusion clouded his face and I bit my lip. “Kiss me,” I said quickly, and it was his turn to widen his eyes.

“What? No. I’m not –”

I was losing patience and we were about to be spotted. “Dammit, Barnes, listen to me! Public displays of affection usually make people look away. Kiss me, before they see us and realize who we are!”

The next thing I knew, Bucky’s flesh hand was at the back of my head and he was pulling me to him. Our lips met, tentative at first, almost hesitant. But as Bucky’s lips moved cautiously against mine, he guided my body backwards until my back was against the wall. I knew in the back of my mind that he was only shielding my body with his from any searching eyes, but the action had also triggered another part of my mind and suddenly my hands were carding through Bucky’s hair and pulling him down to me to deepen the kiss.

Bucky tensed for only a fraction of a second before his initial shock wore away and his lips pressed harder to mine. When his tongue swiped feather-light across my bottom lip my mouth yielded far too easily to his, our breaths mingling, and I felt myself falling farther into the kiss. Who would have guessed that Bucky Barnes, the former Fist of HYDRA and current Grumpiest Avenger, would be such a damn good kisser? Certainly not me.

_No_. My head was spinning, and even though I could have very well let myself get lost in the feel of his lips on mine, this was a survival tactic and we were still on a mission. And this was _Bucky_. This was wrong.

I pushed Bucky away from me, and suddenly reality snapped back to us. Both of us were breathing heavily, and Bucky wouldn’t even meet my eyes as he spoke.

“We should get out of here,” he mumbled, and I nodded.

“I think they went towards the bedrooms. If we can get to the apartment across the hall, we can try for a fire escape there.”

Bucky nodded, and then peered out of the kitchen. Once he’d determined the coast was clear, he reached for my hand only to stop and let his own fall awkwardly back to his side. I pursed my lips and snatched Bucky’s hand in mine. His eyes rounded, cheeks dusted pink, and I shook my head.

“There’s no time to get awkward and embarrassed on me right now, Barnes,” I quipped, tugging him towards the door. He let me lead him out of the apartment and across the hall, where we navigated through the drunken partygoers to the bedroom and the fire escape outside the window. Bucky leaned out the window and frowned.

“We might have a problem,” he said, and I sighed.

“What now?”

“There are no stairs past this floor. We’ll have to jump.”

My eyes widened. “We’re four storeys up!” I cried. “Even without an injured leg, that’s too far of a drop for me.”

Bucky shook his head. “I’ll go first,” he explained calmly, “and then I’ll catch you when you jump.”

“I don’t know…”

“(Y/N), I swear I’ll catch you.” Bucky’s voice was firm but soft, and something in his eyes told me he was serious. “I won’t let you fall.”

“Okay,” I ceded, voice quiet, and he shot me a devilish grin before climbing onto the windowsill and slipping onto the fire escape, jumping down to the alley below. I climbed out onto the fire escape and looked uneasily down at the pavement.

“C’mon, (Y/N), I’ve got you,” Bucky called, and taking a deep breath I leapt off the edge. The air _whooshed_ around me for only a couple of seconds before Bucky’s strong arms were secured around me in a bridal-style carry. My cheeks were flushed, but Bucky’s smile was warm.

“Told you I’d catch you,” he chuckled, setting me carefully back on my feet. I kept a hand on his arm to steady myself.

“Thanks,” I mumbled. “Now let’s get out of here.”

We spun around, only to be met with six men, all with guns aimed at us. I felt my heartrate speed up; even as dangerous as he was, Bucky would have a hard time fighting his way out of this.

“Drop your weapons!” one of the men ordered, as Bucky’s hand had reached for the gun at his hip. His hand froze, fingers twitching around the grip.

“You sure you want to do this?” he asked in a low, even voice. “It’s hardly a fair fight.”

“I’d say from where we’re standing, the odds are looking pretty good. Drop your weapons, and I’ll make sure you and your girl there die quickly.”

“Bucky…” I whispered.

“Stay behind me, doll,” he told me. I shook my head.

“Bucky, they’ll kill us! We’re outnumbered.”

“And they seem to forget who they’re dealing with. Just stay behind me and let me take care of this.”

Something in Bucky’s voice had changed, and it sent a shiver down my spine. He was about to do something really stupid and crazy, and I wasn’t sure if I should duck and cover or jump in and help him. Something told me he probably didn’t need the help, but what kind of teammate would I be if I let him fight six armed men on his own?

It turned out I should have let him handle it on his own. I had seen Bucky in action before, had known what he was capable of, but _this_ – It was like a switch had gone off in his brain and he had gone full Winter Soldier. His moves were cold, calculated and deadly as he successfully deflected every attack aimed at him and put down each man that came at him. Feeling both helpless and useless, I had drawn my handgun and picked one of the men to engage. He saw me coming, though, and he kicked the gun from my hand. I reached for the knife I had hidden in my boot, but the man was faster, kicking me hard in the stomach.

I cried out, doubling over in pain. I fell to my knees, clutching at my stomach, which is how I didn’t see the backhand coming at me until it had struck me so hard across my face that my ears were ringing. I crumpled to the pavement, vision blurry, trying to force myself to reach for my knife. My fingers grazed the hilt, but then I was being shoved roughly onto my back and a heavy boot was on my chest, holding me down and making it hard to breathe.

“Bucky…” I managed to choke out, and I could see Bucky’s large frame spin on his heels, vibranium hand still closed around the throat of one of the men. Upon seeing me, his face twisted and he flung the man he had a hold of against the brick wall as if he weighed nothing more than a ragdoll. He crumpled to the pavement, and from the angle his body slumped at, I was sure he wasn’t breathing.

Bucky stalked towards us, and in that moment every ghoul and monster that Halloween celebrated could make themselves known and it wouldn’t matter; nothing could come close to how terrifying Bucky Barnes was at this point in time. I understood why he had been the world’s deadliest assassin, and why HYDRA had gone to such great lengths to keep him in their grasp – He screamed _danger_. His massive frame could break regular men like toothpicks, and the murderous look on his face now said that’s what he planned on doing to this guy.

The man pulled his gun and fired, but Bucky lifted his vibranium arm and deflected the bullet without even slowing his stride. When he reached the man, he grabbed his wrist, bending it backwards until the gun dropped to the ground and I could hear bones crunching. The man let out a horrible shriek, but even then, he managed to pull out a knife and plunge it into Bucky’s side. I gasped, but Bucky didn’t even flinch. Eyes cold and face hard as stone, he yanked the knife from his flesh and drove the blade into the side of the man’s neck. Blood spurted everywhere, and then his lifeless body crumpled to bleed out on the pavement.

I tried to sit up and groaned. The noise snapped Bucky out of his cold rage, and his eyes widened as he dropped to the ground at my side, hands hovering over me as his eyes frantically raked over my body to assess the damage.

“(Y/N), are you alright?” he breathed, and I nodded, wincing as he helped me sit up.

“I’m good,” I croaked. “Might have a cracked rib or two, but nothing I can’t handle.”

Bucky scowled. “I told you to stay behind me and let me handle it,” he snapped, and I frowned.

“There were six of them and one of you; I felt useless just standing there.”

“Yeah, well you almost got yourself killed!” His voice had risen and he pursed his lips, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose as he struggled to calm himself. “I had it under control,” he said in a more even voice.

“I’d say,” I muttered. “Jesus, Buck, you were terrifying.”

Bucky’s eyes widened and his face blanched. “You weren’t…” He swallowed hard. “You’re scared of me, aren’t you?”

Suddenly, self-loathing painted his features, and I quickly shook my head. “No, of course not,” I scoffed. “You don’t scare me, Barnes. Now help me up so I can go home and wash up and take some damn painkillers.”

Pursing his lips, Bucky gingerly pulled me to my feet and supported my weight as we made our way down the street to where we’d left our car. The drive back to the compound was silent, and Tony and Steve were waiting at the door when we got back.

“What happened?” Steve demanded as he took in our bloodied appearances. I grinned up at him.

“We went to a Halloween party,” I said wryly. “C’mon, Stevie, don’t you like our costumes?”

“We were compromised,” Bucky answered, scowling. “There are casualties. All enemy, but you still might want to get it cleaned up – It’s kind of a mess.”

Tony sighed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. “Of course it is. Conference room in ten minutes – I want a full debriefing of what the hell happened.”

“No.”

Bucky’s voice was firm, and I looked up at him with rounded eyes. Even Steve looked shocked. Tony was annoyed and impatient.

“What do you mean, _no_?” he asked. Bucky scowled again.

“(Y/N) needs to go to the infirmary. She’s been stabbed, shot, has at least two cracked ribs, there’s a chance her windpipe is damaged, and she might have a concussion. We can debrief in the morning. She needs treatment and rest.”

I shook my head. “I’m alright,” I protested, and Bucky glared at me.

“You go to the infirmary,” he said in a low voice, “or I’ll carry you there myself.”

No one said anything for a moment, and then Tony cleared his throat. “Fine. Conference room, first thing tomorrow morning. Now, excuse me while I go clean up your mess.”

Tony disappeared down the hall, and Bucky shot me a stern look. “Infirmary,” he ordered, and then he left Steve and I standing in the hallway.

“C’mon, I’ll take you,” Steve offered, and he helped support my weight as we made our way to the infirmary. He was silent for a moment before speaking. “How many were there?” he asked.

I didn’t have to ask him to clarify to know he meant how many casualties. I frowned. “Seven, I think,” I answered quietly. Steve’s face twisted.

“He won’t be taking this well. He hates killing them. He tries so hard not to.”

“Two of them were to save my life. I would have died had he not stepped in.” The image of his face as he fought that man was burned into my mind, and I pursed my lips. “He wasn’t himself, Steve,” I said softly. Steve’s brow furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

I shook my head. “It’s like I got a glimpse of the Winter Soldier,” I told him. “He was ruthless, Steve, like nothing could touch him. I’ve never seen anything like it.” I bit my lip. “He’s convinced I’m scared of him now.”

Steve ran a hand through his blonde hair and sighed. We had reached the infirmary. “I should go check on him,” he said. “He’s likely not in a good place right now. Are you okay from here?”

I nodded. “I’m good. Go check on him. And Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure he knows how grateful I am that he saved me. I honestly would have died tonight if it wasn’t for him.”

The ghost of a smile touched Steve’s lips. “I’ll make sure he knows,” he assured me. “For the record, though, (Y/N), Buck would never let anything happen to you anyway.”

My brow furrowed, but before I could ask what he meant by that he was heading down the hall. Frowning, I pushed open the door of the infirmary.

A few stitches and a whole lot of painkillers later, I was back in my room and washing off the mess from the night’s events. I had no concussion, but two cracked ribs and tissue damage in my throat. It could have been worse; I was grateful it wasn’t.

Once I was showered and had put on a comfy oversized sweater and a pair of sleep shorts, I headed downstairs to the common area and grabbed the box of Halloween candy I’d hidden under the sink in the kitchen, pouring it into a bowl. I had been just about to heat up some apple cider when I saw Bucky walk into the kitchen out of the corner of my eye.

I turned, a small smile on my face. “Hey,” I murmured.

“Hey,” he replied. He had showered as well, and was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. His eyes were cautious, but he fixed his own small smile onto his face. “Feeling better?”

“Loads,” I admitted with a rueful grin. “One of the perks of being an Avenger is the top-notch painkillers. I can’t feel a damn thing right now.”

Bucky’s smile faded, and he shook his head. “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse,” he said.

“It would have been if it weren’t for you. You saved me twice, tonight, Buck. I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” he disagreed. “Don’t act like I’m a hero. I _killed_ people.” 

“Bad people,” I said. “They weren’t good people. And it’s not like they wouldn’t have done the same to us.”

Bucky’s face twisted. “That isn’t the point, (Y/N). I…I lost control. It’s like I saw them, and it all came back to me and the rage...It just took over and all I wanted to do was make them suffer the way I did.”

My eyes widened. Suddenly it made sense. “You knew them,” I said softly, and the muscle in Bucky’s jaw twitched. He nodded. “They were HYDRA, weren’t they?”

“They used to work for Alexander Pierce,” he explained in a tight voice. “They were my ‘handlers,’ in simple terms. They were the ones who made sure I didn’t cause trouble, and who would wipe me after missions.”

“Jesus, Buck…”

He looked absolutely miserable, and I reached out to set a hand on his arm. His body tensed, but he didn’t pull away.

“How do you not see me as a monster right now?” he asked incredulously, and I shook my head.

“Because you aren’t a monster. You’re someone who’s been through more trauma than any one person should ever have to deal with, and tonight you had to face that trauma head-on.” I shrugged. “Besides, it was them or us. They were going to kill us, so you did what you had to do to get us home.”

His lips twitched. “I told you I’d get you back here,” he murmured, and I grinned.

“That you did.” I held up the bottle of apple cider. “I’m heating it up, do you want some?”

“Do we have the cinnamon sticks to put in it?”

I pulled the box out of the cupboard and Bucky grinned. Grabbing an extra mug, I placed a cinnamon stick in each and waited for the cider to warm up on the stove.

“So what’s with the bowl of candy?” Bucky asked. “I don’t think the compound gets trick-or-treaters, and even if we did, it’s a little late for them to show up.”

I grinned mischievously. “It’s Halloween,” I said simply. “I’m going to take my apple cider and my bowl of candy and spend the rest of the night watching Halloween movies.”

Bucky reached for the bowl but I swatted his hand away, making him drop the peanut butter cup he’d grabbed. He gave me a petulant look. “What was that for? You have an entire bowl full.”

“Halloween candy is only for people that actually _like_ Halloween,” I replied. “Not for those who mock it and regard it with disdain.”

Bucky shrugged. “So what if I watch movies with you, then?” he suggested, and I arched an eyebrow.

“You’d sit there and watch Halloween movies with me?”

“Why not? It’s Saturday night, and I can’t see myself falling asleep anytime soon.”

My heart panged at that – He was still trying to process what had happened tonight, and he needed a distraction. Fixing a smile onto my face, I handed him a steaming mug of apple cider.

“Fine, you can join me,” I ceded, “but I don’t want to hear any quips or comments about the movies we’re watching, got it? They’re some of my favourites, and I don’t need any of your spooky-hating attitude ruining my Halloween spirit.”

Bucky snorted as he grabbed the bowl of candy. “Don’t worry, I won’t spoil your Halloween for you,” he said drily, as we made our way to the common room. We settled on either end of the couch, the bowl of candy between us, and I put on the first movie – _Beetlejuice_. 

At first, I could see that Bucky was trying so hard to keep his mouth shut – To be fair, starting off movie night with a Tim Burton film probably wasn’t the best way to ease a Halloween-hating supersoldier born in the early twentieth century into the genre, but it didn’t take long before he’d loosened up and was laughing harder than I was.

“I want to hate this, but I can’t,” he breathed after the _Banana Boat_ scene. I grinned.

“It’s a good movie!” I exclaimed, and Bucky nodded in agreement.

When the movie was over and a considerable amount of candy had been eaten, Bucky stood from the couch and stretched. I frowned.

“You’re leaving already?” I asked with a pout, and he grinned.

“’Course not, doll. I was just gonna offer to get us some drinks while you pick the next movie.” Bucky winked. “I’ll be right back.”

Relieved that he wasn’t bailing, I chose the next movie and then settled back into my spot, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch and over my legs. When Bucky returned, he was carrying two cocktail glasses filled with black liquid and garnished with slices of lime. I arched an eyebrow as I sat up straighter in curiosity.

“What is _that_?” I breathed, and Bucky shrugged nonchalantly. 

“I figured it fits the mood,” he replied, handing me a glass. “It’s just black vodka with some 7-Up and lime juice, but I figured since you’re so into the whole Halloween thing and your night hasn’t been all that great, I’d indulge you and make some spooky-looking drinks for us.”

I but my lip, my heart doing a weird little flutter at his words. I took a sip as a distraction, and grinned up at him. “Buck, this is good,” I told him. “Like, _real_ good. Is there a hint of blackberry in here, too?”

“Maybe,” he admitted, and I chuckled.

“Well, if your career as an Avenger ever falls through, you have a promising future as a bartender.”

“Duly noted,” he chuckled with a shake of his head. “Now, what are we watching next?”

“Change of pace,” I said, as I pressed play on _The Descent_. “No Halloween is complete without at least one horror movie, and I’ve never seen this one before. It’s supposed to be really good.”

“Bring it on,” Bucky said, and then we settled into the couch to watch the movie.

It didn’t take me long to realize I’d made a mistake choosing this movie; horror movies usually didn’t frighten me, but this one focused heavily on claustrophobia and tiny dark places, which had me shifting uncomfortably in my seat. I couldn’t shut it off, though – Bucky was engrossed in the movie, and if I shut it off, I’d be subject to endless teasing and torment from him.

Bucky just happened to be reaching into the bowl of candy during one of the jump scares, and to my embarrassment my hand shot out and grabbed onto his vibranium arm with a quiet gasp. Bucky glanced down at my fingers clutching at him and then up at my face, one dark eyebrow cocked and the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips.

“You alright, doll?” he teased, and I glared as my fingers quickly released him, cheeks on fire.

“Just startled is all,” I mumbled, and pulled myself closer to the arm of the couch as I refocused my attention back on the movie. Before long, I was pulling the blanket up to my face, barely peeking over the edge of it at the TV. Bucky glanced over at me again, this time concern replacing the teasing.

“(Y/N),” he said softly, “are you even enjoying the movie?”

“Yes,” I muttered. A lie.

“I know about your claustrophobia, Steve told me what happened in Argentina last year.” He paused. “We can pick a different movie, if you’d like. I wouldn’t blame you.”

I shook my head stubbornly. “I’m fine. It’s just a dumb movie.” Even as I said it, the scene on the TV had my hands tightening around the blanket. Bucky frowned, and then he was moving the bowl of candy to the coffee table and stretching his arm across the back of the couch.

“Come here.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

“Come here,” he repeated. “If you’re going to be stubborn enough to keep watching the movie, then at least hide your face against something that will make you feel safe when you’re scared. That blanket won’t do shit to protect you from anything.”

I blushed, but crawled across the couch to curl against Bucky’s side. He draped his vibranium arm lightly around my shoulders, his flesh hand adjusting the blanket over my legs. At first, I had a hard time letting myself relax – Bucky and I had never been close like this before; our relationship had always been strictly professional, with occasional sarcastic banter. But the way his arm instinctively tightened around me when I’d flinch at the screen had me burrowing deeper into the comfort of his embrace.

“Shit,” I whispered at a particularly frightening scene, turning my whole body and pressing my face to Bucky’s chest as my hands grasped at the fabric of his t-shirt. This should have been embarrassing, appearing so weak and frightened over a movie, but Bucky’s arms wound around me and held me tight to him, cradling my head to his chest as his flesh hand smoothed out my hair.

“It’s okay, doll, I’ve got you,” he murmured soothingly. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Suddenly, I was no longer thinking about the movie, but instead about what Steve had said to me outside the infirmary earlier that night. _“Buck would never let anything happen to you.”_ I bit my lip, pulling away from the warmth of Bucky’s chest to look up at him with imploring eyes.

“Buck?”

“What is it, doll?” he asked, a small smile on his face.

“I have a question,” I said hesitantly, “and before I say anything, I swear I don’t mean any offense by it; I’m just genuinely curious and need to know.”

Bucky’s brow furrowed as he shifted to sit up straight. “Okay…” he said warily, and I wet my lips before continuing.

“I know the fact that it was HYDRA made tonight a lot harder for you,” I said, “but if it had been someone else with you – _anyone_ else on the team – would that have changed what happened tonight?”

Bucky’s brows drew closer together as his eyes narrowed and he frowned. “You mean, would I have not murdered anyone,” he said flatly, and I was quick to shake my head.

“No, that wasn’t what I meant,” I told him before he could spiral back into his self-loathing. “It’s just…I noticed a difference between the way you handled most of those men compared to the two that I was trying to fight off. You normally kill as a last resort, but those two…You didn’t even hesitate.”

My voice was quiet, and free of judgement but also doing nothing to mask my confusion. Bucky scowled, eyes drifting away from my gaze.

“They were going to kill you,” he finally mumbled, and I shook my head.

“When Nat nearly died in Moscow, or when Sam nearly died in Miami, you helped them, but not by killing their attackers,” I argued. “Was it because this time it was HYDRA, or –”

“They were going to kill you, (Y/N),” he repeated firmly, this time meeting my eyes. His blue eyes were burning fiercely and it left me a little lightheaded. “I know that isn’t an excuse because I’m supposed to only kill someone if I have no other choice,” he continued, “and I’m sorry if my actions frightened or upset you in any way. But I almost saw you die in front of me _twice_ tonight, and it…I don’t know, something inside me snapped, I guess.” Bucky shook his head in disgust. “I lost control. There’s no excuse.”

I frowned, setting a hand on his arm. “How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t scare me, Bucky,” I told him firmly. He scowled.

“Why did you bring this up, anyway?” he accused. I bit my lip, not missing the way his eyes were drawn to my mouth, and the way it made my heart flutter.

“You kissed me,” I pointed out quietly, and Bucky’s eyes widened, having not expected me to change the subject; especially not to this. He shook his head.

“You told me to!” he defended. “It was for our safety.”

“You used tongue,” I added, voice barely above a whisper now. Bucky’s face reddened.

“You started running your hands through my hair; I was only following your lead –”

“If it had been Sam or Nat or even Steve with you tonight, and not me,” I interrupted, “would you have killed those men? If Sam was the one being strangled, would you have slit the guy’s throat? Or if Steve was the one pinned down on the pavement, would you have plunged that knife into that guy’s carotid? Or would you have just intervened so your teammates could fight off their foes? Answer me truthfully, Barnes.”

Bucky’s face was twisted. “You want me to say it?” he snarled. “Fine. No, I probably wouldn’t have killed them, at least not without a fight. But it wasn’t Sam or Steve with me, (Y/N), it was _you_. And maybe I went a little wild at the thought of something happening to you while you were with me. But I couldn’t help it. I see someone lay a hand on you, especially with the intent of harming you, and I get the urge to tear them apart. I’m not proud of it, and I know I sound like a raging lunatic, but goddamn it, (Y/N), there isn’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t do to protect you.”

He was regarding me warily, like he was afraid his words would have me running for the hills, but they had the opposite effect on me. My eyes widened, but then I tugged my bottom lip between my teeth, heat flooding my body.

“I know I’m supposed to say I can take care of myself, and I’m a badass superhero that doesn’t need a man to fight my battles for me, and in my heart, I know that’s true and I know you know it, too,” I murmured, and Bucky nodded, looking uncertain. “But,” I continued, “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me absolutely _weak_ when a guy is willing to get blood on his hands to protect a girl.”

Bucky swallowed hard as he realized what I was saying. “It doesn’t frighten you that I can lose control like that?” he asked in a strained voice, and I shook my head.

“I’ve never felt safer with anyone than I do with you, Buck,” I assured him softly. “And knowing that you’re so aggressively protective of me is way hotter than it should be.”

“You have no idea,” he murmured. “The other day, when you were in the kitchen making chili and Sam had his hand on the small of your back as he reached around you to taste it…” Bucky’s eyes hardened and the noise that came from his throat almost sounded like a growl. “It took everything in me not to break his hand and lay his ass flat on the floor for touching you.”

“Bucky!” I squealed, but his grin held no apology. I’d had no idea he’d felt this way about me, but it was making me all warm inside. “You can’t get mad at Sam for that,” I chided. “It’s not like I belong to you.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. “That’s an easy fix,” he murmured, and I felt a shiver go up and down my spine. The movie was completely forgotten at this point, barely even background noise as Bucky’s eyes held mine. He was challenging me, but he wouldn’t push me – He was leaving the decision up to me, giving me the power to choose how we proceeded.

“Kiss me,” I finally whispered, and this time when I asked, he didn’t hesitate. He shifted his body so he was half on top of me, catching my lips with his. My arms wrapped around his neck to pull him closer to me, and it wasn’t long before his tongue was slipping into my mouth and tangling with mine. I gasped into the kiss when his hands slid under my thighs and pulled me into his lap so I was straddling him.

“Buck…” I breathed as his lips left hot kisses along my throat and his hands grabbed at my backside over the fabric of my sleep shorts. It was like a switch had been flipped inside him, and all the cold and darkness in him from earlier in the night had been replaced with a scorching fire – The way he was kissing and groping me had the feel of teenagers in the backseat of a car, and it was more arousing than it had any right to be. At the same time, though, we weren’t exactly somewhere private. I pulled away from Bucky, his lips chasing me, and I shook my head. “Buck, we can’t,” I told him. “Not here. Any one of the team could walk in here right now…”

Bucky’s eyes flashed with mischief – a look I’d never seen on him before. “Oh, c’mon, doll,” he drawled, fingertips of his flesh hand trailing across my bare thigh and raising goosebumps as he spoke. “You mean to tell me a girl that loves Halloween as much as you do is afraid to live a little on the edge? I don’t buy it.” His fingers trailed higher, teasing the hem of my shorts. “Tell me you don’t want me to take you right here on this couch,” he murmured. “Tell me it doesn’t send a thrill through you, knowing anyone could walk in on us at any second.”

“Oh, fuck,” I whined, and then I was crashing my lips back to Bucky’s. I could feel him grinning into the kiss, the bastard, but then his fingers had slipped into my shorts and I let out a gasp as his knuckles just barely grazed over my folds. He paused, pulling away to cock an eyebrow at me. His blue eyes were nearly black.

“No underwear?” he breathed. “Christ, doll, you’re almost makin’ this too easy for me.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You calling me easy, Barnes?”

Bucky’s answering grin was salacious. “I wouldn’t dare,” he assured me. He swept his fingers through my folds and I moaned, hands coming to his shoulders for balance. He spread my arousal, his eyes two pools of ink as he watched the way my brows knitted together and my jaw went slack. I rolled my hips instinctively into his hand and he chuckled. “So eager,” he mused. “I honestly never thought I’d see this side of you, (Y/N).”

“Ditto,” I managed to rasp, my breath hitching when his thumb circled my clit. He grinned at my sensitivity, and then his vibranium hand was tugging at the neckline of my oversized sweater to expose one of my breasts. His mouth enveloped my nipple just as he sank two fingers into my heat and I cried out, only to have him still and pull away from my chest with a frown on his face.

“You have to be quiet, doll,” he said sternly. “It’s fun knowing someone could walk in on us, but if we actually are caught, I might have to gouge out some eyes. Can’t have anyone else seeing you all hot and bothered and needy the way you are right now. Only I get to see you like this.”

His words made me dizzy with desire, and I nodded meekly. “Yes, sir,” I murmured, and Bucky’s eyes flashed.

“Fucking Christ, doll, you’re gonna be the death of me,” he groaned, and then his mouth was back on my breast and his fingers pumped in and out of me until I was a sweaty, breathy mess in his lap. I was _so_ close, but before I could crash over the edge, his mouth released me and he pulled his fingers from my heat.

I whined shamelessly. “What the hell –” I started, but Bucky silenced me with a deep kiss.

“Ssh, I got you,” he murmured, voice husky, and then he was tugging at the waistband of my shorts. I lifted off him enough to get them down my legs, and he was tugging down his sweatpants to free his erection. I bit my lip at the sight of it, thick and hard with the tip red and leaking precum.

“Well shit, Barnes,” I breathed. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

Bucky grinned, almost sheepishly, as he pulled my face back to his for a lingering kiss. As he set his hands on my waist, he looked at me with imploring eyes.

“You sure about this?” he asked, and in response I took him into my hand and lined him up with my entrance, sinking down onto him until I was fully seated in his lap.

Bucky’s breath hitched, and I let out a quiet moan as my walls adjusted to his size. I rolled my hips experimentally, and Bucky’s hands tightened on my flesh.

If there was an uncertainty between us, it didn’t last long – Bucky’s hands on my hips pulled me down onto him as his hips rolled up into me, and it was made clear very early on that it wasn’t just in battle that he was a force to be reckoned with. I could feel his power in every thrust, and the way his muscles tightened and contracted under my touch. I thought about how the same hands that were now gripping my hips with a near-bruising force had so expertly used those knives against the HYDRA thugs; how the muscles so easily driving me down onto him now had lifted men twice my size and thrown them around like ragdolls. It should have disturbed me, but instead it sent a thrill through me that had me crashing my lips to Bucky’s in a fiery kiss.

“Tell me I’m yours,” I said breathlessly as Bucky drove into me. “Tell me I’m yours, Buck.”

Bucky’s eyes widened, but they narrowed just as quickly as his vibranium hand maintained its grip on my hip and his flesh hand took hold of my chin and held my gaze to his. “You’re mine,” he growled. “ _Mine_. My girl. Would do anything for ya, doll. You’re _mine_.”

My heart hammered against my ribcage at his words as butterflies set my stomach aflutter. I whimpered, hands slipping under the front of his t-shirt so my nails could rake down his taut muscles. He growled again but this time it was softer, and then he was capturing my lips in his and we climaxed simultaneously, my walls clenching around him as he spilled his release inside me.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, foreheads pressed together and breaths hot against each other’s faces as my body slumped, spent and satisfied, against his. His flesh hand cupped the back of my neck gently as his vibranium hand sat at the small of my back under my sweater, cooling my flushed skin,

“ _Mine_ ,” he whispered, nipping playfully at my jaw. I grinned and nuzzled my face into the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

“Yours,” I agreed. “Now c’mon, we gotta put our clothes back on before someone finds us.”

We redressed, and then I put on _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ and we snuggled up on the couch together. Bucky’s arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer to him, kissing the crown of my head.

“Y’know, maybe Halloween isn’t so bad after all,” he mused, and I looked up at him with a smirk.

“Funny you should say that,” I said, “because I already have next year’s costumes picked out.”

Bucky shot me a look of mock exasperation. “And what’s that?” he asked, and I grinned.

“Bonnie and Clyde.”


End file.
